When you reflect on your personal history, how many times have you started something only to quit prematurely? Why start something without finishing it? That makes no sense. What was the point?
Imagine running a marathon and stopping halfway, or starting a business project and abandoning it in the middle. You’ve invested time, energy, and resources for zero return.
The result can be terrifying. A waste of time. A commodity we have less and less every single second. And if you examine how many tasks you start but don’t finish in a year, the effect is staggering: dozens or hundreds of hours spent on actions that produce nothing. A waste of life. Time passing by with only the fleeting dopamine of “just doing something”.
What can help
A Legacy
Before starting, ask: Does this decision move me closer to my long-term vision?
Think of every commitment as an investment. Will you benefit from this weeks, months, or years from now? If not, the opportunity cost of your time makes it a poor investment.
Define your finish line
One major reason tasks fail is poorly defined success criteria. What does “done” actually look like?
As I explored in my post on achieving goals with clearer tasks, crystal-clear objectives make the difference between failing and delivering.
- Vague goal: “Take care of health” → Clear goal: “Run a 5K in under 30 minutes by June”
- Vague goal: “Learn a foreign language” → Clear goal: “Pass the C1 Certificate”
Think of this as a recipe consisting of specific ingredients and a sequence of actions that produces results. What is the recipe of your task?
When to Quit
This isn’t about quitting or failing. Poor execution brings poor results. Therefore you can focus on other tasks where you can deliver your best and finish.
- When to stop: occasional engagement, not serious enough, very few or no long-term gains, done because of boredom, …
- When you should not stop: difficult, unmotivated, distracted, …
All Or Nothing
I believe for many important goals there is no middle ground. It’s 100% or 0%.
Not 1%, not 99%. Either full commitment or conscious upfront abandonment. Half-measures produce half-results, which for many goals equals zero results.
- 99% of a bridge isn’t functional
- 99% completion of a certification still means no certificate
This way of thinking forces clarity.
Practical Application
Before you commit:
- Define the goal: What does “done” look like concretely? Write 10 pages if necessary.
- Estimate the expenses: How much time and energy will this require? If it needs years, then it needs years.
- Check alignment: Does this serve my long-term vision?
- Make a decision: Choose 100% or 0%. I do it no matter what or choose another project.
Conclusion
You always have a choice. YOU decide whether you start and finish or you do not even bother. There is nothing in between. Either 100% or 0%. All or nothing. One percent or 99 percent is still not 100%. This is crucial when dealing with daily life.